Caodaismus – vietnamesische Neureligion des 20.Jahrhunderts

The publication presents Cadoism as a Vietnamese new religion, based on mystical experiences of its founder. The revelation of God Cao Dai is understood as the last revelation of the highest God during the history of mankind. From this stand of view all religions and also the new humanistic an political teachings in Europe and in the new China after 1912 are understood as an unity based on the Three Teachings in the Chinese world, namely Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Christianity for Caodaists is a branch of the Chinese religious tradition. Ancestor worship and the reincarnation doctrine are important elements of Caodaist dogmatic. The contact to the celestial world runs over the religious rituals but also over spiritist sessions, comparable with that of the 19th century spiritism in France. Rituals, religious architecture, symbols and the constitution of the community are highly rational constructed elements of Caodaism. The most important place is Tay Ninh, not too far from Hoh Chi Minh City, with its cathedral, main building of the Caodist Vatican.